Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped (approx. 75g)
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and sliced (approx. 20g)
  • 2 tbsp celery, roughly chopped (approx. 20g)
  • 1 small clove garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 cup peanut oil (120ml)
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar (80ml)
  • 2 tbsp water (30ml)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15ml)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (30ml)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce (15ml)
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar (12g)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Roughly chop the yellow onion, fresh ginger, and celery. Note: Don't worry about being precise here; the blender does the heavy lifting.
  2. Smashed garlic goes in next. Just one small clove is enough to add depth without overpowering the ginger.
  3. Combine ingredients including the peanut oil, rice vinegar, water, lemon juice, tomato paste, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and black pepper into the blender canister.
  4. Start on low speed to catch the larger chunks of celery and onion.
  5. Increase to high speed gradually. This prevents the motor from straining and creates a tighter emulsion.
  6. Blend for 45–60 seconds until the color shifts to a vibrant, uniform orange.
  7. Check the texture. It should look like a thick smoothie with no visible bits of ginger.
  8. The Bloom Phase: Pour the mixture into a bowl or jar and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Note: This is when the flavors shake hands and the onion mellows.
  9. Whisk briefly before serving to ensure the consistency is perfect.